Background of the Invention
This invention relates to controllable mobile apparatuses such as mobile robots and more particularly to controllable mobile apparatuses that utilize a video system for navigation and still more particularly to controllable mobile apparatuses that utilize a video system for navigation and include a plurality of fixed mounted video cameras with a predefined field of view of an area of coverage.
When navigating controllable mobile apparatuses through a factory or manufacturing environment using fixed overhead video cameras, a particular controllable mobile apparatus will periodically leave the viewing area or zone coverage of one video camera and enter the zone coverage of a second video camera. The mobile apparatus's path cannot be predicted because the mobile apparatus is free roaming and its path is variable. In the past, mobile apparatuses have not been free roaming and thus were limited to tracks, rails or fixed guide paths which make their motion very predictable. Freedom is unpredictability of the robot's motion gives rise to the problem of local navigation sensor predictions, i.e., TV cameras.